LAREDO, Texas – Juan De Dios Rodriguez, a 34-year-old Mexican National has been handed a 60-month-term of federal imprisonment for transporting an illegal alien, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

Rodriguez had been illegally living in the Laredo area after losing his border crossing card in 2003. While here, he became involved in transporting undocumented aliens for financial gain. Specifically, Rodriguez encountered an undocumented female from Honduras on March 15, 2012, who had never been to the United States and had limited education. At 11:30 p.m. on the same day of encounter, Rodriguez picked up the undocumented alien whom he was supposed to take to a tractor trailer for further transportation north.

However, he instead took her to a secluded area, where he sexually assaulted her for hours in a vehicle. Afterwards, he took her to a motel where he assaulted her again. In addition to the assault, he took $800 from the undocumented alien as a form of payment for smuggling fees.

Before pronouncing sentencing, the court noted that Rodriguez had previously demonstrated violent tendencies toward other women, who were never at fault. At the hearing, he again chose to not acknowledge his wrongdoing stating that the encounter was consensual. However, he had repeatedly threatened her to comply. Out of fear for her life, the undocumented alien did as she was told despite her contention that this was the worst pain she had ever experienced.

Upon recommendation of the government, the court upwardly departed from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines by imposing the 60-month sentence based on the egregious conduct involved in the case in addition to prior incidents.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Laredo Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Suntrease Williams is prosecuting the case.